The present invention pertains generally to the field of physical aids, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for carrying a reacher on a walker wherein a reacher-receiving bag is attached to the walker.
It is well known that walkers are used to aid handicapped, injured and/or aged individuals to walk with stability and support. Such walker devices typically include four rectangularly spaced supporting tubular legs which are attached to interconnecting crossbars. In some walker embodiments, wheels are added to two of the legs. The walker enables a person to grasp hand grips located on the interconnecting crossbars while obtaining support from the four legs. Samples of such devices are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,957,071 and 4,074,683. When using walkers, individuals must grasp the hand grips using both hands in lifting and moving the walker a short distance forward, allowing the individual to make a step or two toward the walker, so as to provide stabilized or balanced walking movements.
Although walkers are indeed necessary to facilitate walking by handicapped, injured and/or aged individuals, they have not generally been provided with the added need/convenience for carrying a reacher while they are using the walker. A reacher is a device used by a handicapped, injured and/or aged individual to aid in lifting, moving and/or grasping objects. Typically reachers include a handle with a trigger device that, when pulled, causes a gripping mechanism on the opposite end of the device to close and grip an object. Samples of such devices are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,860,156 and 5,687,889.
In the past when using a walker, reachers have had to be left behind because it takes two hands to use a walker. This is inconvenient since an individual while or after using a walker might need to grasp an object, but they would be unable to do so since the reacher was necessarily left behind. In addition, some individuals have tried to balance the reacher across their walker while using the walker. This has lead to situations where the reacher would fall off the walker onto the ground. The handicapped, injured and/or aged individuals would then be unable to pick up their reacher and/or might trip and fall upon their reacher that was now lying upon the ground. Such a fall by someone who is handicapped, injured and/or aged could possibly cause serious injury to that individual due to their diminished health and lack of normal physical ability.
In the past, there have been some devices which have been developed to allow users of walkers to carry objects, however they have generally fallen short in providing a device that could adequately carry a reacher. For example, some bags, baskets, and trays have been available for walkers to aid in the carrying of various smaller articles for the convenience/need of users. These bags, baskets, and trays have served their particular purposes to carry certain personal articles and items but none of these have been designed or have been able to carry a reacher. Overall, the prior art has given very little consideration to the development of walker reacher bags to meet the specific needs/conveniences of handicapped, injured or aged individuals. Examples of such prior art are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,074,683; 4,184,618; 4,449,750; 4,491,257; 4,659,099; 4,676,416; 4,800,911; 4,974,760; and 5,012,963. These bags, baskets, and trays created for walkers have heretofore suffered from a number of disadvantages when it comes to carrying a reacher:
(a) The aforementioned walker bags, baskets, and trays are too small, short and not designed to carry a reacher. The typical reacher is normally 26xe2x80x3 long with many reachers extending up to a length of 32xe2x80x3. The typical width of a reacher is approximately 5xe2x80x3. The length and width of these reachers make the carrying of these reachers nearly impossible while using a walker since current bags, baskets and trays for walkers are not designed for the long length and width of a reacher. Typically if an individual attempted to place their reacher in the aforementioned walker bags or baskets, the reacher would fall out since the length of the reacher would prevent adequate retention of the reacher. In addition, the reacher could not be stored adequately on a tray since trays are normally flat and smooth and a reacher""s length and design is such that the reacher would slide and fall off the tray.
(b) Further, these walker bags, baskets, and trays are not located in a position on the walker where it is ergonomically adequate for a user to carry a reacher so that it would be easily accessible. Typically these walker bags, baskets and trays are located near the top of the walker at approximately the waist of the individual and many times located in between the support bars of the walker. Even if the reacher somehow was able to be stored in one of these bags or baskets it would be difficult for an individual who was handicapped, injured and/or aged to place the reacher in these baskets or bags and then lift the reacher out for use. While standing, the user would need to lift the reacher vertically normally 26xe2x80x3, starting in front of the user with the handle beginning above the waist. This sort of lifting is difficult, if not impossible, to perform for many handicapped, injured and/or aged individuals who do not have the range of motion or strength to lift a reacher vertically in that manner and to that degree.
To partially solve the aforementioned problems, one supplier of medical and ergonomic medical products has installed a bracket on the walker, which allows the reacher to be removably attached to one leg of the walker. The bracket is mounted on one front leg of the walker. When the reacher is attached to the bracket, the reacher handle is far away from the walker handgrip, and therefore more difficult for the user to grasp. Another procedure for attaching the reacher to the walker comprises a hook and loop strap which is can be attached to the side crossbar of the walker. This device is disadvantageous in that it requires two hands to attach and remove the reacher.
The present invention is directed to a method for carrying a reacher on a walker, wherein the reacher is placed in a bag which is attached to one of the side assemblies of the walker. The method utilizes a bag which is specifically designed to accept the reacher. The bag is attached to the walker by three straps which ensure that the mouth of the bag is angled toward the user. When a user needs to use the reacher, they simply reach down and lift the reacher out of the bag. After use, the user returns the reacher to the bag for carrying
The reacher bag can be attached to a walker in a matter of seconds.
When installed on the walker, the reacher bag is oriented in an angled-back position so that the mouth is readily accessible to the user for easy insertion and removal of the reacher.
The mouth of the bag is biased partially open so that the reacher may be more easily inserted into the bag.
Hook and loop fasteners provide rapid attachment of the reacher bag to the walker.
The bag is positioned on the walker such that it does not get in the way of the handles that a user would use to move the walker foreword.
The bag fits virtually any walker.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, a method for carrying a reacher on a walker includes:
(a) providing a reacher;
(b) providing a walker having a first side assembly connected to a second side assembly, each side assembly including a front leg and a rear leg, the front leg and the rear leg each having a top portion, wherein the top portion of the front leg is connected to the top portion of the rear leg by a crossbar, the crossbar and the rear leg forming a junction therebetween, the crossbar having a hand grip having a forward end;
(c) providing a bag shaped and dimensioned to receive the reacher, the bag having a top having a mouth and an opposite bottom, first and second straps are disposed on substantially opposite sides of the mouth, a third strap is disposed near the bottom below the first strap;
(d) attaching the first strap of the bag to the crossbar of the first side assembly at the forward end of the hand grip, in this fashion, the hand grip prevents the first strap from moving back along the crossbar;
(e) attaching the second strap of the bag near the junction of the crossbar and the rear leg of the first side assembly;
(f) attaching the third strap of the bag to the front leg of the first side assembly;
(g) wherein when attached as in steps (d) through (f) above, the bag resides in an angled back orientation so that the reacher may be conveniently inserted and removed from the bag by a user; and,
(h) inserting the reacher into the bag.